Signing Ceremony of Research Contract

on Sino-German Science and Technology Cooperation Forum

The fourth Sino-German Science and Technology Cooperation Forum; that is the signing ceremony of collaborated projects between China and Germany, was held in the Great Hall of the People on May 22, 2006. During the premier of Germany -- Merkel’s visit in China, with proposes from top leaders of China and Germany, Sino-German Science and Technology Cooperation Forum, as an important dialogue mechanism, was constructed by National Development and Reform Commission, China and Federal Ministry of Economics and Labor, Germany, aiming at strengthening the development and collaboration between China and Germany in the fields of telecom, medical and biology, traffic, energy, environment protection, recycling economy, automobile and so on.

The research contract on avian influenza, suggested by Dr. Wang Jing from Chinese Academy of Sciences and Prof. Rolf Hilgenfeld from University of Luebeck, was regarded as one of the greatly supported projects and was luckily chosen by Premier Wen and Permier Merkel. The collaboration was the only research contract among the nineteen projects signed in the Great Hall of the People. The signing ceremony was solemnly held in Heibei Hall at 10.20 A.M. Prof. The whole process was witnessed by Premier Wen Jiabao and Premier Angela Merkel and the two premiers gave important talks thereafter.

University of Lübeck is a national university characterized by top research and academic teaching at the interface of medicine, sciences and technology. The university's Institute of Biochemistry (IFBL) focuses its research on the molecular basis of intracellular infection. The main expertise of the institute is in structural biology and in proteomics. The topic of this collaboration is a joint research on Avian Influenza. Both sides voluntarily contribute to the collaboration, workshop organization and experts exchange based on equality, reciprocity, and mutual benefits. A special emphasis of the joint research will be put on viral genomics and discovery of antiviral compounds, in particular against avian influenza. Dr. Wang Jing’s team and Prof. Rolf Hilgenfeld’s team were close partners in the EU-funded FP6 project SEPSDA ("Sino-European Project on SARS Diagnostics and Antivirals"), which had already made great achievements.

The success of the research contract between two sides not only implies the further development of science and technology collaboration between China and Germany, but also symbols the enlargement of international impact of Dr. Wang Jing’s team in this field. The sign of the contract has a very important meaning in the Sino-German science and technology history.